Cooperación transfronteriza y trayectorias de desarrollo: aprendizajes de la experiencia europea

Borders have played a key role in the construction of European Union. The European integration process, that implies inter alia the construction of a single market, has produced a new concept of borders, not anymore conceived as obstacles and barriers but rather as bridges between different cultures, societies and economies. This paper briefly presents the history of cross border cooperation initiatives at local and regional level in Europe, focusing on the added value of these practices as regards local development and European integration process and on the preconditions that have allowed the diffusion of these initiatives all over Europe. Finally, the paper reflects upon the utility of concepts and experiences developed in Europe for the integration processes that are ongoing in Latin America.